Devices and methods for everting tubular objects inside out are known. In some examples, the material of the object is pierced by hooks that hold the material and enable everting of the material. In these examples the material and the quality of the final outcome may be damaged as a result of the several holes pierced in it. In other examples, an end of a fabric tube is clamped between grips and pulled out to evert the material. In further other examples, tissue in the human body is everted using piercing prongs in a process which may cause damage to the tissue. Some of the known devices and methods are complicated and difficult for use and are not suitable for quick, easy and clean actions as required, for example, in operating rooms. Some of the known devices and methods are not safe and unreliable. Some of the known devices and methods do not enable full everting. U.S. Pat. No. 2,156,339 relates to a mechanism for reversing material in tubular form and, more specifically, to attaching means for use in connection therewith. U.S. Pat. No. 2,626,090 relates to a device for turning or reversing elongated tubular fabric articles such as belts, or the like. U.S. Pat. No. 3,945,542 discloses a device and method for manually everting a cloth or fabric tube where all manipulations may be visually monitored. U.S. Pat. No. 4,281,781 discloses a method of everting a knitted sleeve-like portion of wearing apparel, or the like. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0032968 discloses a device and method for securing the urethra to the bladder in surgery by means of one or more everting prongs, which risks the intactness of the urethra and bladder. Some of these devices and methods are complicated and difficult for use and are not suitable for quick, easy and clean actions as required, for example, in operating rooms. Some of these devices and methods are not safe enough because damage may be caused to the everted materials.
Devices and methods for coupling grafts to vessels are known. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0130671 discloses a method for coupling a first vessel and a second vessel in an anastomosis. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0135227 discloses an anastomosis device for use in coupling an end of a graft vessel to a side of a target vessel. U.S. Pat. No. 6,740,101 discloses anastomosis systems which include fittings and compression mechanisms for affecting end-end or end-side couplings of biological or synthetic bypass grafts to vessel locations. Some of these devices and methods are difficult to use and time consuming, especially for small graft diameters. Some of these devices and methods expose foreign material to the blood flow path within the vessels, which increases the risks of hemolysis and thrombosis.
The known devices and methods are, as described above, based on the simultaneous everting of all the perimeter of an expandable tube end. These devices and methods require especially high elasticity of the material. In each of these methods and devices the everting becomes more difficult and unreliable as the diameter of the tube gets smaller.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0038502 discloses docking heads to be mounted on a graft so as to establish-a vascular device that is coupled to a blood vessel with aneurysm, and dedicated delivery devices as well as methods of coupling. The vascular device comprises a graft having docking head at the proximal portion and another docking head at its distal portion, or two docking heads if the graft is bifurcated. The docking heads comprises a hollow truncated cone having a passage adapted to correspond to the outer diameter of the graft and is provided with a plurality of outwardly pointing and inclined barbs. The vascular device is coupled to the blood vessel on both sides of the aneurysm while the docking heads act as guiding, anchoring and sealing means in a suture-less and rapid manner. The vascular device is modular and can be prepared according to the condition of the aneurysm and the dimensions of the blood vessels during operation.